Do c section and tummy tuck scars heal the same way?

Tummy tuck scars can be revised at one year or 18 months, but most of the scars do not need revision.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

C-section and tummy tuck scars heal under very different conditions.  When a C-section is done, a baby has just been delivered so the tummy skin is loose and there is no tension on the incision as it heals.  In contrast, the goal of a tummy tuck is to remove as much skin as safely possible so generally there is some tension on the wound (this can be reduced by closing the wound in layers but nonetheless the closure would be much tighter than a c-section wound).  Since a tummy tuck incision is closed under tension it is not surprising that the scar may be wider and/or take longer to fade and soften.

A C-section wound is a straight line to the abdominal muscles, the skin is then closed under no tension.  The blood supply to the skin is not changed.  A tummy tuck is totally different.  The skin is lifted off of the abdominal wall and trimmed.  The blood supply is changed.  The wound is closed under tension.  The wounds heal much differently.  Revising a tummy tuck scar typically just starts the process over.  Time fades wounds.